Praxis Gifted Education (5358)

Study Plan

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How well do I know the content? (scale 15)

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I. Development and Characteristics of Gifted Students (21%)

A. Development

1. Knows the advanced developmental milestones of gifted students in all domains, from early childhood through adolescence

a. Physical

b. Social/emotional

c. Cognitive

d. Communicative

e. Adaptive

2. Knows how asynchronous development relates to giftedness

3. Knows the early indicators of giftedness

a. Advanced verbal ability

b. Curiosity and imagination

c. Early achievement of milestones

d. Ability to focus attention intensely

e. Accelerated rate of learning

4. Knows the indicators of giftedness in all stages of development

5. Knows the role of stakeholders in supporting the development of giftedness

B. Characteristics

1. Understands the similarities and differences between gifted students and the general student population

2. Knows the similarities and differences among gifted students

3. Knows the characteristics associated with different types of giftedness

a. Intellectual

b. Academic

c. Creative

d. Leadership

e. Visual and Performing Arts

4. Knows the cognitive characteristics of gifted students

a. Memory, focus, capacity for learning, metacognition

b. Originality, creativity and innovation, insight

c. Rate of learning, breadth and depth of knowledge

d. Analogical thinking and reasoning, communication skills

e. Abstract and conceptual learning

5. Knows the range of social and emotional characteristics of gifted students

a. Perfectionism, persistence

b. Emotional intensity, idealism, empathy

c. Intrinsic motivation, self-awareness

d. Sense of humor

e. Preference for intellectual peers

6. Knows a variety of factors that may affect the development of gifted students

a. Socioeconomic status, culture, English-language proficiency

b. Race, gender, ethnicity, peer relationships

c. Availability of services and quality of instruction

d. Age of identification, home support and environment

e. Co-existing conditions and exceptionalities

7. Knows common stereotypes associated with gifted students

a. Socially shy and inept

b. Excels in all academic areas

c. Lack of interest in non-academic pursuits

d. Capable of learning on their own

e. Easily identified

8. Knows a variety of causes for underachievement in gifted students

a. Cultural influences

b. Pressure to conform

c. Fear of failure, low self-esteem, boredom

d. Lack of supportive academic environment

e. Unsupportive family environment

f. Transience (frequent moves)

9. Knows the coexisting conditions and exceptionalities that may affect gifted students

a. Giftedness and ADHD

b. Giftedness and literacy disabilities

c. Giftedness and learning disabilities

II. Learning Environment for Gifted Students (19%)

A. Physical and Social Environment

1. Understands the impact of a safe, equitable, positive, and supportive environment on learning

2. Knows the continuum of placement and delivery of services options for gifted students

a. General education classes with differentiation

b. Cluster grouping

c. Pull-out and self-contained classes

d. Special, alternative, and virtual schools

e. Dual enrollment

3. Knows the influence of social and emotional development on the learning of gifted students and that gifted students may have idiosyncratic learning patterns

4. Knows strategies for developing the non-academic skills of gifted students

a. Social competence

b. Leadership

c. Resilience

d. Self-efficacy

e. Risk-taking

5. Is familiar with how identification and delivery models are related

B. Teaching and Learning Environment

1. Knows how to create a learning environment that addresses the characteristics and needs of gifted students

a. Adapting the curriculum, content, process and product

b. Aligning instruction with standards and benchmarks

c. Selecting resources to meet the interests of gifted students

d. Adapting resources to meet the needs of individual students

e. Addressing the strengths and limitations of individual students

f. Offering a broad array of resources for learning

2. Uses instructional activities specific to the development of complex cognitive processes

a. Comparing and contrasting

b. Analyzing, inferring, predicting

c. Evaluating, categorizing, synthesizing

d. Decision making, creating

e. Generalizing

3. Knows methods for promoting higher levels of thinking

a. Reflecting, supporting positions

b. Challenging assumptions, drawing conclusions

c. Finding relationships, designing alternate solutions

d. Determining relevancy and validity of information

e. Transferring knowledge

4. Knows strategies for addressing underachievement in gifted students

a. Offering choice-based learning

b. Supporting incremental goal setting

c. Establishing supportive partnerships

d. Recognizing success

5. Knows how to establish and maintain rapport with gifted students

a. Communicating expectations for student performance

b. Communicating expectations for student behavior in a variety of settings

6. Knows the tools for adapting a learning environment based on input from students and other stakeholders

a. Pre-assessment

b. Learning inventories

c. Interpretation of test results and performance evaluations

d. Consultation and collaboration with other stakeholders

III. Instruction of Gifted Students (28%)

A. Planning

1. Understands the basic concepts of curriculum development for gifted students

a. Differentiating goals

b. Developing scope and sequence

c. Aligning with standards and benchmarks

d. Increasing depth and rigor

e. Modifying existing curriculums

2. Knows the major models for developing curriculum for gifted students

a. Content mastery model (subject based)

b. Process-product model (skill based)

c. Concept based model (theme based)

3. Knows how to differentiate the general education curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students

a. Increasing complexity and depth of content

b. Modifying the pace of learning

c. Creating opportunities for creativity and innovation

d. Allowing opportunities for independent study

4. Knows how to select instructional content, resources, and strategies appropriate for gifted students

5. Knows how to adapt content, strategies, and resources appropriate to the needs of individual students

6. Knows how to design instruction that provides opportunities for students to investigate and extend areas of interest or talent

7. Knows how to plan instruction for enhancing the communication skills of gifted students, including advanced oral and written communication tools

8. Knows how to plan opportunities for gifted students to access and use technology in innovative ways

9. Knows the academic and career guidance that must be integrated into instruction

a. Academic and vocational assessment

b. Shadowing and internships

c. Mentors and role models

10. Knows the importance of involving students in planning, implementing, and evaluating their learning

11. Knows the types of assessment data that are used to inform instruction

a. Formal and informal

b. Summative and formative

c. Pre- and post-assessment

d. Performance-based

B. Instruction

1. Knows that a number of variables may affect how individual students learn and perform

a. Culture, socioeconomic status, gender

b. Prior knowledge and experience

c. Self-confidence, self-esteem

d. Developmental readiness, asynchrony

e. Coexisting conditions and exceptionalities

2. Knows how to develop observable and measurable instructional objectives

3. Knows how to develop and implement lesson plans

4. Knows a variety of strategies for instructing gifted students

a. higher-level questioning

b. problem-based learning

c. inquiry-based learning

d. differentiated learning

5.Knows how to pace instruction to meet the needs of individual students and that different strategies may be required for teaching gifted students with diverse cultural and linguistic needs

6. Knows strategies for developing metacognitive thinking in gifted students

a. modeling thought processes in content areas

b. developing self-regulation

c. encouraging and supporting reflection

d. asking complex questions

5. Knows how to pace instruction to meet the needs of individual students and that different strategies may be required for teaching gifted students with diverse cultural and linguistic needs

6. Knows strategies for developing metacognitive thinking in gifted students

a. modeling thought processes in content areas

b. developing self-regulation

c. encouraging and supporting reflection

d. asking complex questions

7. Knows methods of facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills in specific areas of student development

a. generalizations

b. synthesis within and across disciplines

c. integration of conceptual understanding

8. Knows strategies for teaching students self-advocacy and self-regulatory skills

9. Knows how to use student responses and performance for guiding instruction and providing feedback

10. Is familiar with strategies for addressing the needs of the profoundly gifted

a. adjusting age restrictions

b. increasing access to appropriate learning opportunities

c. adapting peer settings to meet academic and social needs

d. employing radical acceleration

e. locating content experts

IV. Identification and Assessment of Gifted Students (18%)

A. Assessment

1. Knows the basic terminology used in assessment

a. validity, reliability, mean, median, mode

b. raw score, scaled score, stanine, percentile

c. normal distribution, standard deviation, standard error of measurement

d. grade-equivalent scores, age-equivalent scores

e. norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests

f. ceiling effect, out-of-level testing

2. Is familiar with assessment instruments and their uses, strengths, and limitations

a. observations

b. checklists

c. parent or teacher recommendations

d. portfolios, work samples

3. Knows the various purposes of assessment

a. planning and instruction

b. documenting growth

c. identification

d. placement

4. Knows the legal and ethical practices related to the identification, assessment, and placement of gifted students

a. confidentiality of educational records

b. nondiscriminatory assessment

c. state and district regulations

5. Knows how to develop assessments to measure student learning and progress

6. Knows how to report assessment data to stakeholders

7. Knows how to interpret assessment data for making placement and program decisions

B. Identification

1. Knows the processes and procedures for nominating and identifying gifted students

2. Knows commonly used qualitative assessments associated with identifying giftedness

a. observations

b. checklists

c. parent or teacher recommendations

d. portfolios, work samples

3. Knows commonly used quantitative assessments associated with identifying giftedness

a. creativity tests

b. achievement tests

c. aptitude tests

d. IQ tests

4. Is familiar with the use of alternative assessments for identifying giftedness in special populations

5. Knows the importance of using multiple criteria for identifying giftedness

6. Knows factors that can lead to the over-, under, or misidentification of gifted students

a. gender, race, ethnicity, stigma

b. cultural factors, social status, economic status

c. parental pressure

d. behavioral issues, coexisting exceptionalities

e. English language proficiency, testing bias

f. teacher expectations and misconceptions

V. Professionalism (14%)

A. Foundations

1. Knows the major foundations, theories, and philosophies of gifted education

a. historical foundations

b. major contributors

c. varying conceptions of giftedness

2. Is familiar with the major legislation regarding the education of gifted students

a. Javits Act

b. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

c. state laws

3. Knows the legal and ethical implications of laws, regulations, and court cases related to the rights of students and teachers

a. equal access

b. privacy and confidentiality

c. intellectual freedom

d. licensing/certification

4. Knows the rationales, principles, and goals of gifted education

a. existence of individual differences

b. benefit to society of the development of giftedness

c. diverse perspectives on the conceptions of giftedness

d. entitlement of gifted students to an education that supports the attainment of their full potential

B. Collaboration, Leadership, and Professional Development

1. Knows the publications and professional organizations relevant to the field of gifted education

a. Journal for the Education of the Gifted

b. Parenting for High Potential

c. Gifted Child Quarterly, Gifted Child Today

d. National Association for Gifted Children

e. Council for Exceptional Children

f. The Association for the Gifted

2. Knows how to locate and evaluate information on issues, trends, and research in the field of gifted education

3. Knows how to apply theory and research in gifted education to instructional practice

4. Knows how to collaborate with colleagues and school personnel to address the academic, emotional, and social needs of gifted students

5. Knows how to use reflective practice to improve instructional practice

6. Knows how to collaborate with stakeholders to advocate for services for gifted students

7. Knows how to serve as a resource for supplementary opportunities for gifted students outside of school

a. summer and weekend programs

b. conventions and competitions

c. special interest organizations

8. Is familiar with the impact of giftedness on individuals, families, and society across the life span

a. knows the common emotional reactions to gifted individuals

b. knows the stressors and challenges associated with gifted individuals and family members

c. knows ways that gifted individuals can affect the school and greater communities, and society as a whole

9. Knows strategies to help families understand the implications of a students giftedness and provides strategies for supporting the students development and learning

a. initiating and maintaining relationships with family members

b. providing information about resources that support families

10. Knows a variety of strategies for communicating with parents and caregivers about students progress and needs

11. Knows the role of an advocate for gifted education and is a resource for parents and caregivers, school personnel, and members of the community for information relating to gifted students and their educational experience

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